TBS presence reported in 78 provinces, all Metro Manila LGUs

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday said members of the community-based criminal group True Brown Style (TBS) have established a presence in all local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila and in 78 of the country’s 83 provinces.

On the sidelines of a motorcycle distribution ceremony at Police Regional Office 3, Remulla said TBS originated in California, United States, and reached the Philippines about 25 years ago as a small group before evolving into the criminal syndicate that authorities are now seeking to dismantle.

“They are in every LGU in Metro Manila. Of the 83 provinces, I think nasa 78 na sila. ’Yung iba malaki, ’yung iba maliit. Mostly sa mga urban centers sila nagko-concentrate,” Remulla said during the turnover of 48 new motorcycle units for the Unified 911 Emergency Hotline at Camp Olivas in San Fernando, Pampanga.

The DILG said TBS is a community-based criminal group composed largely of members in their late teens and early 20s. The group also allegedly recruits children as young as 14 to 15 years old and grooms them to engage in criminal activities.

Remulla earlier described the cases involving the group as extremely alarming, prompting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to direct authorities to dismantle the organization.

Following the President’s directive, Remulla said the Philippine National Police (PNP), together with other law enforcement units, is consolidating intelligence to identify and arrest TBS members and disrupt the group’s operations nationwide.

“Nagko-command conference kaming lahat ng pulis ngayon. Gina-gather na namin ang intel kung sino ang mga miyembro nito, and we will get them,” he said.

Remulla added that the group’s alleged modus operandi includes teaching minors to steal from business establishments. He said initiation rites for new members may involve robbing convenience stores at gunpoint.

“At 16 years old, tinuturuan na silang magnakaw,” he said.

The DILG said law enforcement efforts against TBS will continue, with authorities focused on dismantling its network, apprehending its members, and preventing the recruitment and exploitation of more children.

The department likewise urged communities and families to remain vigilant against criminal groups that prey on minors and threaten peace and order in their communities.